Dreams Versus Mind
by Aqya
Summary: Annika has never left New Bark Town, but when she meets Robbie all of that changes so that she can prove to Robbie and the world that she can make an impact on the Pokemon World, even as an orphan. Please read and review and I'll return the favor!
1. The Clouds

Annika Mia Kaleathinas waited for nothing as she sat on a bench in her native New Bark town, waiting for nothing like always. Annika knew that nothing would come, but she continued to sit and wait, hoping to find the answer to all of her mysteries.  
  
She had never left the five mile radius around New Bark Town for some reason. She had never battled for a gym badge, or anything her school mates had done. She was practically left alone to wonder why she was afraid to leave.  
  
Standing up, she grabbed her red backpack and wandered out of the town and towards where she kept to herself when she was really lonely, a place where she could sit and recollect herself before returning to her home with the Shumakers, her foster family.  
  
Sitting down and dropping her backpack, she pulled out her three Pokeballs. "You can come out now, guys."  
  
As the beams of red light appeared, three Pokemon materialized infront of her as she sighed. She hated her life, but she could not stand to face what was out of her safehaven of New Bark Town.  
  
Annika's only three Pokemon were at their highest evolutions, mainly since she has never had the heart to fight against others but have them practice their attacks on trees. Meganium was her first, since she found the little Chikorita she once was wandering around New Bark Town highly injured when she was five, taking her in and raising her, finally officially capturing her five days later. Her second Pokemon was Kingler, a goofy young Krabby he once was, when Annika found him beaten up on a beach after a fight with another wild Krabby. Her third was Espeon, her pride and joy as when she was an Eevee she had been the Pokemon of one of the roughest trainers in New Bark Town, the evil Julias Kester. She had found the Eevee trying to escape out a window of Julias' house, and helped her and taken her into safety.  
  
Annika adored her three Pokemon more than anything in the world, since they were the only family she had. She had grown up with them, raised them, taken care of them. They were her only love in life, and she was sure not going to let them suffer like they did before with the evils of the world unless they wanted to do it.  
  
Looking up at the clouds, Espeon nudged her leg. "Esp....Espeon!" The small Espeon look anxious, and soon Annika knew why, since a tiny Meowth was limping their way with a large bloody scratch half way down it's back.  
  
"Oh!" Annika said, standing up and running over to it. Falling to her knees, she pulled her Pokemon first aid kit out of her belt pouch. "What happened?"  
  
"Meowth....Meo...."  
  
By then Annika had already put antiseptic on the cut and was bandaging up. "You need to get the Pokecenter."  
  
"Meowth!"  
  
Bending down, she carefully picked it up and trotted off back towards the Town.  
  
**  
  
Later that day, Annika had watched the Meowth fall asleep, and the rest were with her in the Shumaker's huge backyard. "Guys, we are not going to achieve anything if we just sit around. Would you be up to challenge Faulkner for his badge?"  
  
"Espeon!"  
  
"Megani....Meganium!"  
  
"Kingler!"  
  
"Okay, then it is settled," Annika said as she picked Espeon up and sat the lavender ball in her lap. "Tommorrow we challenge Faulkner."  
  
"Cela?" called a voice from behind the fence that circled the Shumaker backyard. "Cela? It's Robbie!"  
  
Annika knew Robbie was her foster-sister Cela's boyfriend. "Cela isn't here right now, but she'll be back from training her Pokemon later."  
  
"Oh, thanks," the voice said as a black-haired, light-skined young man stuck his head over the fence. "Who are you?"  
  
Looking at her Espeon, "I'm Annika Kaleathinas, the Shumaker's fosterchild," Annika said as she rested her head on Meganium and looked at the clouds again, like always.  
  
"You have a Meganium!" Robbie said as he jumped over the fence deftly and walked over to where Annika rested.  
  
Annika groaned. "Yes, I have trained her since I found her eleven years ago when she was still a Chikorita," she told Robbie without looking at him. She knew Espeon had stood up and went over to sniff Robbie before she would let him within ten yards of Annika.  
  
"I have a Chikorita, myself!" Robbie said as he pulled a Pokeball out and released his large, overgrown grass Pokemon. "He was my first Pokemon, and we have been together since I was eleven."  
  
Annika looked at the Chikorita before laying her head back again. "It's overgrown, and I wouldn't be proud to have a husky Chikorita."  
  
"How dare you!" Robbie said as he picked up his Chikorita with a frown. "I admit I have never battled with him, or trained him either, but he is still my pride and joy!"  
  
"Chikorita! Chicki!" his Chikorita cried shrilly.  
  
"Meganium!" cried her Meganium in reply.  
  
"You Chikorita says he wants to be trained, but he likes food," Annika said as she rolled over to look at Robbie.  
  
"You talk to Pokemon?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Ofcourse I do, and so do you, but you just haven't taken the time to learn the language they speak like I have," Annika said with a grin as Espeon retreated and laid down right infront of her. "It's easy if you just take the time to listen to one. Their language is easy to learn, but you hasve to listen first."  
  
Robbie humphed as he pulled out five other Pokeballs. "Okay, team!" Annika watched with wonder as his five other Pokemon materialized into a Croconaw, Bellsprout, Shuckle, Chinchou, and Pichu.  
  
"Pichu pi!" cried the Pichu as she ran into her owner's arms.  
  
"She wants you to love her so she can beat up Cela's Pikachu," Annika said with a yawn as she rested her chin on Espeon. "You do know you have to love a Pichu for it to evolve, don't you?"  
  
"I thought you just had to train it hard!" Robbie said as he caught the Pichu while holding onto Chikorita.  
  
Annika laughed. "Why would you think that? Don't you know Cela sleeps with her Pikachu every single night as she has since she got him?"  
  
"Yeah," Robbie said.  
  
"Then you might as well come with me," Annika said as she stood up. "Wait while I get my stuff, would you, and then we can go where I go when I train my team." 


	2. I Don't Want To Say

Annika walked along the path out of town followed by Espeon, Meganium, Kingler, and Meowth as well as Robbie and his team. "The first rule to train is to believe in yourself and your Pokemon. Even though Espeon evolved from Eevee when I found her and rescued her from bondage, most of the time you really have to work to get your Pokemon happy."  
  
"Espeon Espe Espe!"  
  
"She says she is still happy that I rescued her that day and she remembers it very well," Annika told Robbie as she dropped her backpack and stopped walking. "This is where I train, and where I found Meowth here."  
  
"Meowth Meowth!"  
  
"He says I helped him feel much better," Annika said with a smile. "Too bad Meowth doesn't evolve with happiness. Anyway."  
  
Reaching down, she pulled out a booklet and tossed it to Robbie. "I wrote this when I was eleven about how I got Espeon and Meganium," Annika said as she patted Espeon. "Kingler came along three months after I finished it, and Meowth today."  
  
"Neat," Robbie said as he glanced through it, putting it in his backpack, but Annika really wasn't paying attention, but looking at Robbie's Shuckle as it bounced around.  
  
"Shuckle shuck shuckle shuckle shuck!"  
  
"Your Shuckle says that your mother feeds him lots of yummy fish, and that he loves fish," Annika said as she smiled. "But we need to train. How about in a battle? Three-on-three."  
  
"Fine," Robbie said. "Go Shuckle!"  
  
"Shuckle!" he cried, swaggering to be infront of Robbie.  
  
"Go Espeon!" Annika cried.  
  
"Espe!!!"  
  
"Shuckle, wrap!"  
  
"Espeon, psychic!"  
  
Even though Shuckle's attack got off first, Espeon dodged out of the way and performed her psychic, knocking out Robbie's Shuckle in one hit.  
  
"Guess your Shuckle isn't as good as he looks," Annika said with a grin. "Send out your next Pokemon."  
  
"Go Croconaw! Water gun!"  
  
"Espeon, confusion!"  
  
Croconaw got off a good water gun, giving Espeon a hit square in the head, but Espeon quickly got off and gave Croconaw a taste of her confusion, and soon Croconaw was hitting himself.  
  
"Espeon, psychic."  
  
And with psychic, Croconaw was down and not getting back up.  
  
"Next."  
  
"Okay, Chinchou! Thunderbolt!"  
  
"Espeon, psychic!"  
  
While Chinchou was charging up, Espeon got her psychic off and down went Chinchou. "See? You haven't been training and it is obvious. I could tell when Croconaw was saying 'Oh, great!' before he went into battle."  
  
"Fine, so my Pokemon aren't in the best of shape," Robbie said as he recalled Chinchou. "But I did win Faulkner's badge."  
  
"And I will win it tomorrow," Annika said as Espeon leaped into her arms and gave her a big lick. "Great job, Espeon! You will sure do great tomorrow with Meganium! Like you always are!"  
  
"Espeon!"  
  
"She says she's ready," she told Robbie as she nuzzled Espeon with her nose before setting the Pokemon down.  
  
"You haven't battled Faulkner?"  
  
"No, and I really do not feel like telling you why not, either," Annika said as she sat down with a thump. "But feel free to see me challenge him tomorrow for his badge, and I'll win." 


	3. My Destiny Is Not In New Bark

Annika had traveled all night and most of today to reach Violet City from New Bark Town, but she was ready to battle Faulkner for the Zephyr Badge.  
  
"I challenge you to a battle, Faulkner!" Annika cried out, Robbie standing behind her.  
  
"And I accept your challenge," Faulkner said. "Go Pidgeotto!"  
  
Annika smiled as she thought a moment, and she knew since she had no electric Pokemon choosing which ones would be tough. Smiling, she pulled out a Pokeball. "Go Espeon!" Infront of her, her Espeon emerged.  
  
"Espeon!"  
  
"Pidgeotto, gust!"  
  
"Espeon, psychic!"  
  
As Pidgeotto powered up her wings and began to flap, Espeon had already released her psychic attack, hitting the Pidgeotto head on, knocking out the bird Pokemon before Espeon got the full effect of the gust attack.  
  
"Great job, Espeon!" Annika cheered in delight as Espeon turned around.  
  
"Espe!"  
  
"Espeon, you're doing great!"  
  
"It's not over yet," Faulkner said, pulling out another Pokeball. "Go Hoot-Hoot!" His next Pokemon materialized infront of him.  
  
"Espeon, give it your psychic!"  
  
"Hoot-hoot, gust!"  
  
And like last time, Faulkner's Pokemon was knocked out by Espeon's psychic before Hoot-Hoot even started his attack.  
  
"Great job, Espeon! We won!" Annika cheered at the top of her lungs as Espeon ran into her arms.  
  
"Great job, Annika!" Robbie called from behind her as she ran towards him with Espeon still in her arms.  
  
"I won!" Annika cried as she hugged Espeon.  
  
"Good job, Annika," Faulkner told her as he handed her the Zephyr Badge. "You definatly deserve it, unlike some of my other competitors who come in with low level Bellsprouts with poison powder....you trained your Pokemon well."  
  
"Thank you!" Annika said with tears coming to her eyes. "Oh my goodness, Robbie! I won!"  
  
"You deserved it, Annika!" Robbie said as he put his arms around Annika, and Annika could feel in her heart that he cared about her even if in other ways he did not show it. How she knew that, she didn't know, other than she knew her heart would not lie to her. "How about we get some dinner before we head back for home?"  
  
"I am actually not sure anymore if it was in my cards to go home so quickly," Annika said as she hugged Espeon. "For some reason I think I should go on and continue, not stop and forget about training. You don't know me enough to know I have wanted since I got Espeon I wanted to be a Pokemon Master. I never told anyone before, Robbie."  
  
"You do?" Robbie said as Annika shifted Espeon in her arms, coming eye to eye with Robbie at her 5'10".  
  
"Ofcourse," Annika said as she grinned. "Espeon and Meganium were my reasons why. I have been training Pokemon since I was five. Raising them, feeding them, adopting them. It was more than likely my destiny to be like this."  
  
"It might have been," Robbie said with a chuckle. "Listen, I have all of my Pokemon and my stuff here. I can call my mom and the Shumakers and tell them we are going to go to Azaelea Town."  
  
"Great," Annika told Robbie as she started towards the door. "But maybe we should give Faulkner his peace before he goes crazy like us." 


	4. My Life Wasn't Pretty

Walking along the forest path outside of Violet City with Robbie, Annika wondered what her destiny had in store for her. It was then a flock of Farfetch'd flew over.  
  
Robbie was already running after them, so Annika followed. "Go Espeon!" she cried out as she released the Pokemon. "Give two a confusion attack!" Annika told the Pokemon.  
  
"Espeon!" Espeon cried, and soon two were flapping around in circles away from the flock.  
  
"Robbie, catch one and I'll take the other," Annika cried out as she removed an empty Pokeball. "Espeon, sand attack!"  
  
"Espe!" Espeon unleashed a sand attack, and the one she was going after fell to the ground, but had not fainted.  
  
"Go Pokeball!" The Farfetch'd disappeared into the Pokeball, and after a few moments she knew it was caught. "Great job, Espeon! Come on out, Farfetch'd!"  
  
As the Pokemon materialized, Robbie returned with a sad expression on his face. "Chinchou fainted it, but I see you caught one!"  
  
"Yep," Annika said.  
  
"Farfetch'd Far Far!"  
  
"He says don't worry, and that his flock is flying towards Azaela Town."  
  
"Great," Robbie said as grabbed his backpack he had discarded and pulled it back on. "It's getting dark. Do you want to make camp here?"  
  
"That would be nice,"Annika said as she dropped her backpack and pulled out her sleeping bag and tent, as well as her other three Pokeballs. "Come out Meganium, Kingler, Meowth!"  
  
As her Pokemon materialized, Annika unrolled her tent and began to put it together. As she worked, she began to speak. "Kingler, do you think you can keep guard tonight?"  
  
"Kingler!"  
  
"Okay, good," Annika said. "Robbie, you do know that my parents abandoned me at the orphanage in New Bark when I was a week old, don't you?"  
  
"No, I didn't," Robbie said as he piled the wood for the fire up.   
  
"The director of the orphanage told me that there was a pair of Noctowl watching me for about a week afterwards from the window next to my crib before the disappeared and were never seen again," Annika said as she finished the tent and unrolled her sleeping bag, sliding it in. "The director told me that about that time a Gastly took up residence in the orphanage for about five years until the Shumakers took me in, and then it disappeared."  
  
"Why have you been the Shumaker's foster-child for eleven years without being adopted?" Robbie asked.  
  
"That I really don't know, Annika said as she sat down on a log next to the fire, Espeon curling up to her legs. "But if you want I can tell you my entire life's story."  
  
"If you would."  
  
"Okay," Annika said. "It started...."  
  
The director of the orphanage told me that with my crib they found a note that said my name was Annika Mia Kaleathinas, so the director looked up my last name in the files of residents of New Bark, but found no one so it was decided that they were not from around here, so they stopped looking after a week. I grew up in the orphanage with about four others my age until the Shumakers, June and Petr, took me in to be a companion for their daughter Cela. With me came Chikorita, the Pokemon that I had found in the alley behind the orphanage, using a Pokeball I found in the orphanage. They gave me a little room on the main floor with a bed and a desk and some clothes, but that was basically it. I grew up expecting the Shumaker's to adopt me but they never did, so I just continued to be me. I found Eevee when I was eight trying to claw her way out of a window of Julias Kester's place so I took a rock and broke the window, grabbing Eevee and bringing her back home with me where I cleaned her up and put a cute red ribbon on her next and loved her, and by the end of the day she had evolved to Espeon out of happiness. Then Krabby came about a month later, when I was walking on the beach on vacation. I took him in and when I was thirteen he evolved. Meganium became Meganium when I was twelve, by the way. Me and Cela never got along, so we never really talked. She had her Golbat she was always training...  
"Now you know." 


	5. Of Course I'll Help

Annika awoke the next morning to a wift of air smelling like eggs, her favorite food. She lifted herself up and tapped Espeon. When the Pokemon didn't move, she lifted Espeon off and crawled out and saw Robbie cooking over the fire.  
  
"You guessed what my favorite food was," Annika said with a laugh as she stood up and walked over. Behind Robbie she noticed Meganium, Kingler, Meowth, and Farfetch'd were eating with Robbie's six, and Espeon's bowl was untouched.  
  
"Your Espeon must still be sleeping," Robbie said as he handed Annika a plate.  
  
"Yeah," Annika replied. "Where did you get your eggs?"  
  
"There is a village about a mile south of here," Robbie said as he ate a bite of his eggs. "They call the town Venonat Village, and Venonat and Venomoth are all over the town, if you could believe that they loved Venonats that much."  
  
"I love Venonats!" Annika said with a yelp as she quickly scanned around. "I tried to find one back in New Bark, but no one had one or had actually ever seen one."  
  
Robbie laughed. "My mom has a Venonat, and she preens over it like a prized rose bush. It gets seriously annoying once she starts to forget to cook meals except for her Venonat and her Doduo that lives in the backyard. My dad says she could at least fix food for his Mr. Mime and my Pokemon, too."  
  
"She is a good woman, then, if she cares about her Pokemon like that, but I am going to catch one today!" Annika ran off into the forest around them, and Espeon trotted out of the tent behind her, her tail sticking up in the air as if to show dominance.  
  
"Hurry it up, then!" Robbie called after her. "I promised the town leader that we would meet with him later to see if we could help him find some lost Venonat eggs."  
  
"Alright, Robbie," Annika said without looking as she finally disapeared into the woods.  
  
Once Espeon caught up with Annika, they began to walk around. It was then a Dunsparce swaggered by, not noticing them. "Espeon, tackle it!"  
  
"Espe!"  
  
Espeon dove out at the Dunsparce, giving it a hard tackle. The Dunsparce fell back, not fainted. Grabbing a Pokeball, she lobbed it at the Pokemon. And soon she had caught the Dunsparce.  
  
"I didn't catch a Venonat, but I caught something that might still be of use," Annika told Robbie as she walked back into camp followed by a happy Espeon, the Pokeball resting in her hands. "Okay, come on out!"  
  
The Dunsparce quickly materialized infront of Robbie, who stood there with a smile. "Now you have a full team! Congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks," Annika said as she walked over to her tent and pulled out her backpack and sleeping bag, rolling the sleeping bag up and sticking it in. "Now you were saying about some lost Venonat eggs."  
  
"Oh, yeah," Robbie said as he picked his pan up and walked over to the small stream to wash it off. "The town leader, the man who ran the stand selling food, said that the breeding center on the other side of town, a farm type place with a hundred or so Venonat and Venomoth, was robbed last night and twenty one eggs were stolen, all of the eggs currently there. Twenty of those were to be hatched and given to the newest class at their school as their graduation present, their town tradition."  
  
"We'll get them back if we know what actually happened," Annika said as Espeon walked over to her bowl and Annika fixed the Dunsparce his own, plain bowl, since the rest of the bowls were decorated as was Annika's little gift to all of her Pokemon.  
  
"A small Venonat that was supposed to be guarding was the only witness," Robbie said. "That is why I told him you could help."  
  
Annika grinned. "I'd be glad to help," she said. 


	6. The Search Is On

"The Venonat is being brought down from the breeding center," the husky man that was the town leader said, his pair of Venomoth sitting on their perches behind him.   
  
"We do know that a scrap of fabric found that is only made in Viridian City," Officer Joy said, her Venomoth sitting on the back of her chair. "It was white with a hint of red, but other than that we don't know what it is."  
  
"Mr. Ellias?" came a young voice from behind them.  
  
"Come in, come in, Rebeckah!" Mr. Ellias said, and Annika turned to see a girl about her age sat in the chair next to her. "Annika, Robbie, this is Rebeckah, and she is the breeding center owner's daughter. The Venonat in question is hers."  
  
"Are you sure you can help?" Rebeckah asked as her Venonat jumped into her lap.  
  
"Venonat veno venonat veno veno venonat venon!"  
  
"Your Venonat says that she saw a man and a woman, about eighteen or nineteen. The man was commanding around a Raichu and a Wartortle, and the woman had a Yanma and Nidorina. The woman had long red hair and the man had black hair," Annika said seriously.  
  
"Veno venonat veno veno ve!"  
  
"She says that they were talking about appeasing the boss, and they called each other Veronica and Vin," Annika said, turning to the Venonat. "Veno ve venonat venonat veno."  
  
"Veno venonat!"  
  
"I just told her she was brave to stay and get that information and that she should be commended," Annika said as she picked Espeon up. "I would think they were still in the area."  
  
"How do you do that?" Rebeckah asked as she patted her Venonat caringly.  
  
"You just have to listen," Annika said with a smile as she stroked her Espeon.  
  
"That's amazing,"Rebeckah said. "Ve venonat ve?"  
  
"VenoNAT!"  
  
"You just said you were a big apple, and Venonat said that ofcourse you were not," Annika said. "Veno ve veno."  
  
"Veno."  
  
"I said you were wrong, and Venonat said thanks."  
  
"Amazing," Rebeckah said as she sat her Venonat down and stood up. "We should get hunting. Do you want a help? The breeding center would reward you for your efforts if you did, since the eggs are highly important to our village."  
  
"Ofcourse we will help you out," Annika said as she lifted herself and Espeon up. "Just lead the way to the breeding center and we will start from there."  
  
**  
  
"Espe espeon!"  
  
"Espeon says they went west, which is back into the forest," Annika told Rebeckah as Espeon trotted off. Grabbing her other five Pokeballs, she released them and they quickly materialized. "Farfetch'd, search the area for a man and woman wearing white and red with a Yanma, Raichu, Wartortle, and Nidorina."  
  
"Far farfetch'd!"  
  
"The rest of you come with me," Annika said as Farfetch'd flew off.  
  
As they began to search, Rebeckah started to talk. "I always wanted to get closer to my Venonat, but I have never been able to really understand what she was saying other than when she nuzzled me or turned away."  
  
"You could come with us and I could teach you," Annika told Rebeckah as Farfetch'd returned.  
  
"Far far far!"  
  
"I'd be glad to come!" Rebeckah exclaimed.  
  
"We can talk about that later," Annika said with a serious face. "Farfetch'd found them. Espeon, Meganium, follow Farfetch'd to them. Kingler, Meowth, Dunsparce, we'll go around and surprise them."  
  
"Venonat and I will go to your right," Rebeckah said, pulling out a second Pokeball. "And Gligar will come with us!"  
  
The Pokemon materialized. "Gligar gli!"  
  
"And my Pokemon and I will go to the other side," Robbie said.  
  
"Let's do this!" 


	7. We'd Be Glad To Have You!

Annika silently crept around to the far side of the kidnapper's encampment, her three Pokemon following closely. It was then she started to hear voices from the clearing.  
  
"Veronica, I think this was a bad idea," the man said as he turned the eggs from their position over the fire. "I mean, what if someone comes looking."  
  
"Then we'll scare them off, Vin," Veronica replied with a humph as she rotated the ones on her side. "Once we hatch these we'll take them to the boss and he'll reward us and promote us to executive."  
  
"It doesn't work like that," Vin told Veronica as he leaned back.  
  
"Really."  
  
"It doesn't!"  
  
"Then we'll just find out for ourselves, then won't we?"  
  
"You know that Wartortle was still a Squirtle before that battle with the wild Ponyta three days ago, and Raichu is still hurt since she battled that Graveler!"  
  
"I know that, you dumbbrains," Veronica told Vin without remorse. "But Nidorina and Yanma are at full strength."  
  
"Whatever. You promised me we could stay in a hotel room, not in a tent again."  
  
"Don't worry, honey," Veronica told Vin as she stood up and walked seductivly in his direction. "Once we get back to Viridian we sure will with our reward."  
  
It was then that Annika tapped Kingler and motioned him to wander in. When he accomplished it, Vin and Veronica turned.  
  
"It's a Kingler, Veronica."  
  
"It's not wild. Kingler don't come inland this far."  
  
"Does it really matter? A Kingler is a Kingler! Let's catch it! The boss will reward us still."  
  
"Kingler, eh? Nidorina, poison sting!"  
  
"Kingler, crab hammer!" Annika cried as she rushed out of the brush. "You will not harm my Kingler or those eggs."  
  
"You can't stop us, bitch," Veronica told Annika. But by then Kingler and Nidorina were already in battle, and Kingler was winning even with the disadvantage.  
  
"My Kingler is highly trained while I can tell your Nidorina isn't."  
  
"Whatever, you piece of scum."  
  
"You're the piece of scum," Annika said with a laugh. "You must be Veronica, judging by the way you two were talking and what my friend's Venonat said. You were caught on candid camera, by the way."  
  
Veronica growled. "Nidorina, poison sting!"  
  
"Venonat, help Kingler out with your Confusion!" Rebeckah called as she appeared with her Venonat and Gligar.  
  
"Chinchou, thunderbolt!" Robbie said as he walked into the picture.  
  
"You think you can beat me unfairly, bitch?" Veronica said as she humphed. "Vin, help me out!"  
  
"You have a Raichu and Wartortle. Don't under estimate me!" Annika cried as Espeon, Meganium, and Farfetch'd appeared into the clearing. "Give us the eggs and we won't have to hurt your Pokemon or you. But you will serve time in the prison in Violet if you run. Stealing just brings community service."  
  
"You can't stop us," Veronica said in defiance. "Yanma, sonicboom!"  
  
"Kingler, crabhammer!"  
  
And with that, Yanma was knocked out but Kingler was hurt.  
  
"Robbie, get the eggs while I keep them busy," Annika told Robbie as Espeon jumped infront of her. "Espeon, give them a taste of your tackle!"  
  
"Espe!!"  
  
And soon, Veronica and Vin were long gone, but the eggs were safe.  
  
"Great job, guys!" Annika told her Pokemon with a smile as Espeon jumped into her arms. "Especially you, Kingler!"  
  
"Kingler!"  
  
"He says he did a good job."  
  
"He did a great job," Rebeckah said. "I am sure I want to come with you now."  
  
"We would be glad to have you along," Robbie said as he picked his Chinchou up.  
  
"So it's settled." 


	8. Our Love Was Destiny

"Robbie, Rebeckah, I'm not sure about myself anymore," Annika confided as she stroked Espeon by the fire at their campsite outside Venonat Village, a pair of eggs resting over the fire. "Oh, and thanks for the egg again, Rebeckah. It was so nice of the village to donate us one each for helping you guys out."  
  
"It was no problem," Rebeckah said as her Venonat jumped out of her lap and over to the stream where Kingler and Chinchou were swimming. "The village was very glad to have the eggs back, and to scare off those criminals."  
  
"I have the feeling we'll see them again," Robbie said as he massaged his Pichu. "You're a great Pichu, boy."  
  
"Pichu pichu pi."  
  
"He says it takes more than just that, Robbie, to make him evolve," Annika said, resting her head on Espeon's side.  
  
Rebeckah then stood up. "I'm getting sleepy, guys. I'm going to go on to bed."  
  
"Have a nice rest," Robbie told her as he stood up himself and walked over to the stream. "Annika, can I have a word with you, please?"  
  
"Of course," Annika said as she lifted herself up and walked over to the stream, sitting next to him on the bank. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Robbie said, twitching his thumbs around. "I was going to tell you why I came with you instead of staying in New Bark with Cela."  
  
"Oh," Annika said as Espeon curled up next to her.  
  
"It's because I think I am in love with you, ever since I saw you're face over that fence," Robbie said as he looked over the water. "It's hard to explain, but I'll try. Cela is Cela....bratty, bitchy some of the time, but only dating me I suppose since I had a Croconaw, a Pokemon she always wanted. She even tried to seduce me with sex once, and I said no. When I saw you, I felt in my heart that it was true love."  
  
"The same with me," Annika said as she began to stroke Espeon again. "Maybe that is why you came. It was your destiny to follow me on my journey, at the same time as your journey and Rebeckah's journey. Maybe it was fate for us to fall in love."  
  
"Maybe it was, but should we try and find out if it's real?" Robbie asked as he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.  
  
"I guess we should," Annika said in a interested way. "Maybe we were meant to be."  
  
As they began to lean towards each other to exchange an intimate kiss, they were surprised when Kingler tossed a Quagsire onto the shore infront of them.  
  
"Kingler king king kingler!"  
  
"He tells me to catch it, because it tried to invade on him," Annika said as she stood back up, moving away from Robbie much to his dislike.  
  
Robbie frowned. "Just when we were about to prove our unexpected love to each other. Thanks for the special delivery, Kingler."  
  
"Kingler king."  
  
"He says Thanks for the rude comment," Annika said as she tossed an empty Pokeball at the Quagsire. And soon she had a Quagsire on the team.  
  
"It's a Quagsire, so it must have some interesting skills on it's routine to have evolved from Wooper," Annika said as she took out her Pokedex and Meowth's Pokeball, where she was resting. "Sorry, girl. You're going back to New Bark to spend some time with Professer Elm."  
  
And soon again it was just six, Meowth now her first resident at Professer Elm's Lab.  
  
"King king king!"  
  
"And he wants to tell you Chinchou helped, too." Annika laughed as she released Quagsire.  
  
"Quagsire quag!"  
  
"It's a girl!" Annika cheered as she hugged the Quagsire to her chest. "And I have a Quagsire! Isn't it great, Robbie?"  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Robbie said as he stood back up with a disapointed look on his face.  
  
"Robbie, don't leave quite yet," Annika said as she jumped into his arms. "I never said I couldn't pay you back the favor for me not completing our little exercise, we can call it, back there. But we should go somewhere where we wont bother Rebeckah."  
  
"Okay," Robbie said, his frown turning into a grin as he set her back down, kissing her on the lips. "Are you sure you love me in return, or is this just a pity event?" Robbie hugged her to his chest and began to waltz her around their clearing.  
  
"Definatly the fact I love you in return, pity boy," Annika said as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I've never felt this way before about anyone, besides my Pokemon, and I am sure it's fate that we love each other. Even my Espeon tried to tell me before we went to sleep last night that Chikorita told her that you were sad you hadn't made your move."  
  
"I am never the one to make the first move," Robbie said with a grin. "And Chikorita is always with me anyways, unless she is in her Pokeball."  
  
"Figures," Annika said as she looked into Robbie's eyes. "But shall we?"  
  
"We shall." 


	9. A Travelling We Will Go

The next morning, Annika woke up rested and suspiciously didn't hear any noise. Espeon was still curled up next to her like always, so she figured Rebeckah and Robbie were still sleeping. She rolled over, and began to hear voices outside.  
  
"Veronica, they had an Espeon!"  
  
"It doesn't matter, Vin. We're going to get their Espeon and give it to the boss, as with the rest of the Pokemon."  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea? That Espeon was strong!"  
  
"KINGLER!"  
  
Annika knew her Kingler had woken up and was proceeding to scare the intruders away like he was supposed to. But where was Meganium and Farfetch'd?  
  
"Meganium meg meg!"  
  
"Far far farfetch'd!"  
  
The pair were behind her tent planning their attack. "Guys, split up and scare them from both sides. Then I'll send Espeon to finish the job."  
  
"Meganium."  
  
"Farfetch'd."  
  
And then the pair disappeared, and soon she heard a screech as the pair saw the other two Pokemon appear.  
  
"Espeon, psychic!"  
  
"Espe!!"  
  
And soon, for the second day in a row, Vin and Veronica had been scared off, and Robbie and Rebeckah had been woken up.  
  
"It was Vin and Veronica," Annika told them as she sat down infront of their dead fire, Espeon curling up infront of her. "You were right about them showing up again, Robbie."  
  
"I knew I would be," Robbie said as he sat next to her. "Today I think we should continue on towards Azaelea Town. There's not much around here besides Venonat Village."  
  
"There's a small town about five miles down this path called Tyrouge Town," Rebeckah said as she pointed down the path. "There is a fighting Dojo there with Tyrouge and Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan and Hitmontop.... There is a huge breeding center there dedicated to just Tyrouge, too."  
  
"That would be a nice stop," Annika said as she stood up and walked over to her tent. "I really want another Eevee, but just seeing fighting Pokemon would be excellent, indeed. Maybe to get some skills for my Pokemon."  
  
"There is a town about five miles after that called Butterscotchville, and they have a really cool sumo tournament that should be starting on Saturday, and today is Wednesday," Rebeckah continued on. "You're Meganium and Kingler and Quagsire could enter, Annika. They meet the weight requirement."  
  
"Interesting," Annika replied. "I think it would be a good experience for my Pokemon to participate in that kind of tournament, and my Pokemon do need to train for anything, too. Maybe I can find a fighting Pokemon of my own there. I need some other types besides normal, grass, water, ground, and psychic."  
  
"Butterscotchville, huh?" Robbie said as he thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah. My dad had a Ursaring he traded to get Mr. Mime, and before he had the Ursaring it won that competition about seven years ago."  
  
"Cool," Rebeckah said as she picked up Venonat. "My cousin Holly lives in Butterscotchville, and she is training her Scyther for that competition. Her mom has a Slowking in the competition, and her father last year's winning Larvitar and a Ursaring."  
  
"He has a Larvitar?" Robbie said with goggling eyes.  
  
"Yeah, my uncle has a Larvitar which he is training to evolve into a Pupitar before the competition," Rebeckah said as she picked up Venonat. "He's my mom's brother, and he had a Venomoth himself but moved to Butterscotchville to train his Ursaring to sumo wrestle, when he found Larvitar in the mountains that surround Butterscotchville."  
  
"That is so neat," Annika said as she stroke Espeon like she always did. "Maybe I can win the competion." 


End file.
